Tupange: Kenya Urban Reproductive Health Initiative

The project objectives are being accomplished through the following key approaches:

• developing cost effective interventions for integrating quality family planning into existing maternal and child health and HIV services;
• improving the quality of family planning services for the urban poor with emphasis on high volume clinical settings;
• testing innovative private-sector approaches to increase access to and use of family planning by the urban poor;
• developing interventions that create demand for and sustain the use of contraceptives; and
• increasing funding and financial mechanisms and a supportive policy environment for ensuring access to family planning supplies and services for the urban poor.

As part of these strategies, Tupange has designed a multi-media communication strategy to create and sustain demand for family planning services, as well as put an end to myths and misconceptions about contraceptives and make family planning a social norm among youth ages 20-29 in Kenya. Using the theme, Celebrate Life!, the communication strategy is intended to respond to the unique community and social dynamics present in the population served by Tupange Project. Celebrate Life! encompasses several activities, including radio drama, inter-personal communication, social media and SMS service, job aids for service providers, and the distribution of print materials and promotional items to the public. All the activities are designed to complement each other to reinforce key messages for specific groups, including young people, to encourage attitude and behaviour change.

The 24-episode radio drama, Jongo Love, explores the lives of the residents of Nairobi’s low income areas, the choices they make each day and how these choices affect their reproductive health. Set in urban Kenya, Jongo Love addresses love, relationships, and family planning, and seeks to increase contraceptive prevalence rates among Kenya’s youth. It is being broadcast on community radio stations and each episode is followed by a phone-in discussion during which listeners, DJs ,and experts continue the conversation started during the show. Jongo Love also engages its listeners through interactive question and answer posts on Facebook and Twitter. Project news and resources can be found on the Tupange Project website.

Clinic-wide trainings have also been held to empower all levels of staff to become advocates for family planning. Community health workers are also conducting mobilisation efforts, moving from house to house counselling families on family planning and referring them to integrated health outreach events.

Family Planning, Youth